


Rusty

by Flyorine



Series: Elements [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, F/F, I'm Bad At Summaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-03 23:58:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17887619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flyorine/pseuds/Flyorine
Summary: The story that starts with a nice and pleasant evening of shopping... Until it wasn't.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work is completed already and will be posted in three chapters. I'm aiming for an update every week. It's my first time sharing any of my writing with people I don't know and it's a little nerve-wracking, so please be gentle if you leave a comment. 
> 
> Also, English is my third language. I did my best to catch all the grammar mistakes but feel free to point out if I forgot anything :-)

"How awesome is that?" Ryan asks what everyone is thinking while looking at the object on display on the counter. "Proper flying boots." The shoes are made of sturdy leather and would look fairly ordinary, if not for the small propellers placed near the heels. 

"I think people would notice if you flew to work." Graham shakes his head but his eyes are still glued to the small blue man demonstrating the shoes' flying speed. 

"Could be useful when we get chased around though." Yaz shrugs and keeps struggling with the scarf she just bought for her mom's birthday. It’s made of a soft, silky fabric that changes colors based on its surroundings. It’s also putting on a fierce fight to escape from the bag the young woman is trying to shove it in, getting tangled around her wrist until she gives up and tucks the object inside her sleeve.

"Don't encourage him, we're still working on the biking skills." 

"Graham!" Ryan turns away from the stall with a weak protest, and they make their way out of the group of curious shoppers. 

It's been a few hours since they landed on Gnov IV, after the Doctor needed to buy some piece of alien technology to help with her constant "improvement" of the TARDIS' mechanics. The woman shoved several credit sticks into their hands before leaving in her usual flurry of long coat and vague advice ("Don't step on grass, you might lose your feet" was the only one they caught). 

It hasn't been a problem so far, since they’re walking around a busy marketplace established in the middle of a desert. There is no sun shining over the planet, only a massive moon lighting up the night sky. The streets are bustling despite the late hour, humanoid people running all around them to get to the metallic stalls piling up on each other. It vaguely reminds Yaz of a mall from Earth, except rustic ladders leaning precariously on the stalls are the only way to travel between the different levels of shops.

"Let's stay on ground level, yeah?" It was Graham's suggestion but it was a hard one to disagree with, especially after they watched a small woman tumble down the equivalent of three floors earlier. Ryan and Yaz rushed forward to help but a medical crew was surrounding the poor woman a few seconds after she hit the ground. They placed her on a stretcher and started running before any bystanders could intervene, which made the three humans question just how much of a regular occurrence injuries were. 

***************

"Can you smell that?" The crowd is thinner around the part of the marketplace they’re strolling into when Graham interrupts their walk. A mouth watering smell floats around the street they just came across and his stomach growls in reaction. 

"Over here" Yaz points out the small, dark colored building almost invisible between two alleys. The facade is made of bricks and dirty windows, with a big lighted sign that simply says "Diner" hanging over revolving doors. They look at each other and exchange a smile before stepping toward the entrance. 

"I can't even remember the last time we had a real meal."

Ryan rolls his eyes "You had breakfast about three hours ago, Graham." 

"TARDIS' food is not the same." He shrugs but his companions quietly agree. There is a distinctive taste to the food they find stocked in the ship's kitchen. It isn't bad, just different enough to remind them that they left home behind. The restaurant both looks and smells like any traditional English pub found around Sheffield. 

They’re quickly seated in a booth by a tall alien that has translucent skin, a very long neck and sharp silvery eyes. Ryan bits back his thoughts about how much she reminds him of a space giraffe while she guides them inside. 

"Welcome, humans." The woman (Kala, according to the tag hanging on her loose green shirt) gives them a quick once over before disappearing behind a black curtain hiding what must be the kitchen. It takes a few minutes of quiet discussion among them before she returns with three bowls filled with a blue, thick liquid that vaguely resembles blueberry jam. 

"I'm sorry, we didn’t order anything." Graham speaks up after sharing a concerned look with his companions. 

A steely shadow crosses the alien's face before she twists her lips into a tight smile. "We have been making this soup for centuries, with fruits from Evelon. You will like." The words are barely out of her mouth before she turns on her heels and returns behind the counter facing the main door. 

She keeps glancing at their table every few seconds and Ryan shifts uncomfortably. "We should probably eat that. Remember what happened at the festival last week?" 

_The festival was a very glamorous dinner party held by the Emperor of the planet Ohriri. They stumbled right in the middle of the gathering, after another miscalculated landing of the TARDIS. The Doctor was intrigued after hearing so much about the party over the years, and they decided to stay for the celebrations. Unfortunately, the drink they were served with contained wine, and when Yaz politely declined the glass offered to her, their host closed his eyes and turned a particularly impressive shade of red._

_The Doctor slipped a hand around the younger woman and took the drink from the nearby cook, shoving her own empty glass into Yaz's hand. "Thanks! Can’t let Yaz have all the fun."_

_The Emperor narrowed his eyes and examined them for the longest moment, until the Doctor raised the wine in his direction, took a sip and tugged Yaz toward Graham and Ryan's newly assigned table, where they were silently watching. They sat opposing the two men and the Doctor leaned forward "Refusing food is bad manners on Ohriri. The rest of the menu is plant based, so..."_

_"How bad are we talking about, Doc?" Graham interrupted._

_The Doctor scrunched up her face before offering a reluctant answer "There might have been a few people thrown in jail, a long time ago."_

_"That's no bad manners though. It's a crime" Ryan's tone was almost amused and he didn't seem particularly worried._

_"It's fine! As I was saying, the rest of the menu is safe." She glanced to the side and waited until she received a confirmation nod from the younger woman. "We'll have to switch drinks with Yaz, no biggie."_

_Nobody went to jail that evening, but they had to cut the night short after realizing that the kitchen staff continuously traveled around tables to refill guests' glasses. The party ended with Yaz dragging an almost passed out Ryan back to the TARDIS, with the help of a semi drunk Doctor who barely managed to keep Graham from wandering off._

Yaz shrugs with a small grin "At least I can share the pain this time." 

She takes a spoonful of the soup and braces herself as her tongue makes contact with the blue food. The flavor of a spicy, perfectly cooked curry explodes in her mouth and she swallows, staring at her plate in disbelief before raising her head to see Graham and Ryan waiting for her verdict. "You need to taste this." 

The two men follow her lead and their eyes go wide as they try the food. Silence reigns upon the table for a few minutes, interrupted only by the sound of spoons rattling bowls while they try to scoop up the very last drops of the soup.

***************

"Amazing. This was just like Grace's Sunday roast." Graham coughs to clear the sadness from his voice.

Ryan turns to him, puzzled "What do you mean, roast?"

"Your nan's recipe? I know you practically inhaled her food but you do have taste buds, right?" 

"It tasted like fish and chips from that pub near work, I don't know what you're on about."

Yaz cuts into their bickering. "It tasted like curry to me." She pauses and looks around the restaurant. They are completely alone, even the worker disappeared from the room. "Do you think the soup is different for everyone?"

"I don’t know" 

"I wonder why there isn't more people here. If the food adapts to each person’s tastes, you'd think there would be a crowd." Yaz does her best to keep her voice firm, but she can feel an odd dizziness creeping up at the back of her mind.

There’s a brief pause in conversation while they all examine the restaurant with a new eye. Most of the furniture appears to be in terrible condition, either broken or visibly unused in a long time. They’re seated in the only clean section, that includes a few booths and a bar faced by high chairs. A thick layer of dust covers the counter and the little alcove hidden behind the curtain - what they thought to be the kitchen - is now completely dark. The atmosphere starts to feel stifling, like the walls are closing in on their table. 

Graham abruptly stands up, intended on leading the way out of this place before anything weirder can happen. He's barely taken a step, and his legs turn weak under his weight. He falls back into the booth and his eyes meet Yaz's. "Anyone else not feeling great?". 

There is a muted thud and they jump before noticing Ryan, upper body slouched over the table, eyes closed and breathing slowed and deepened. He is asleep.

Graham blinks and shares an understanding look with Yaz who is now struggling to stand up. She manages to take a step forward but passes out before she can even clear the table, her body suddenly crumbling in a heap on the floor. Graham tries to reach and break her fall but quickly realizes that his arms aren’t going to move. He closes his eyes and rests his head on Ryan's back. "At least we waited after lunch to get into trouble this time."

***************

The Doctor sighs, shoving her hands into her pockets. Visiting Gnov IV was her idea, she thought her companions would enjoy the night market more than the boring mechanic shop she goes to for TARDIS' pieces. She didn't consider all the distractions the planet has to offer however, and she has already been stopped by two food vendors (Free samples! She loves samples), a street magician and a man who could juggle with an impressive variety of fruits. 

Her search for an Artron energy carburetor has been fruitless though, and every person she tried to ask for help had ignored her questions, for a reason she was still trying to figure out. 

People keep glancing her way as she goes up and down the streets wondering what's happening on this planet. It's the first time she's met with anything other than a friendly, helpful crowd, and today marks her tenth landing on Gnov IV. What's troubling her the most is a shadow travelling just outside her field of vision. It's been following her for almost an hour now, and she's growing tired of it. 

After a quick look over her shoulder, which doesn't detect anything suspicious, she dashes into the first alley she can find and stops just passed the corner, pressing her back against the brick wall. It only takes a few seconds before a confused looking man walks across the street. 

He's old and his white hair clashing with the darkened atmosphere are hidden under the hood of his long black coat. His broad frame seems too big for the small stalls around him. He slows his progression as his eyes shift around the shops. 

The Doctor takes a step forward and bumps his shoulder. "Hello. Are you looking for me?"

He jumps and abruptly turns to face her. "You knew I was following you?"

The Doctor scrunches up her face and offers a small smile. "You really need to duck faster.”

He raises his eyes over her shoulders and scans the crowd before gently pushing her back into the alley she was hiding into. The street is an empty shortcut between two less visited popular of the marketplace. "Are you human?" He’s whispering and the Doctor tilts her head in curiosity.

"Depends." She says, in a matching whisper. 

"W... What?" He’s caught off-guard by the answer and the volume of his voice is normal again. 

"On why you're asking. What do you want?" 

“Just... Stay away from the Southern quarters.” 

The Doctor doesn’t know much about that part of the planet. It’s right outside the limits of the marketplace and as far as she knows, it was abandoned decades ago. Why would anybody wander in empty streets when there is so much to see inside the city?

“Why?”

The man glances around again, before leaning closer to the Timelord. 

"It's dangerous for your kind there. Humans wander off and they vanish forever." 

All traces of amusement vanish from the Doctor's voice. "What happens to them?" 

The man narrows his eyes. "You're not human."

"I'm not, but my friends are. What happens to people who disappear?" He swallows and hesitates for the first time since the beginning of their conversation. The Doctor has no time for his doubts and she catches his shoulders in a firm grip. "Tell me. I can help."

"I don't know for sure..." 

He trails off and the Doctor interrupts "What's your best guess?"

"I think they're taken away to a spaceship stationed in orbit. The ship appeared the same day disappearances started." His words are cautious and he seems to be gauging her reaction.

"When was that day?"

He sighs and lets his eyes fall to the ground. "A few months ago."

"Months? And nobody has tried to find out what's happening?" He winces under the blatant indignation in the Doctor's voice. 

"There was an investigation. Many people went into the Southern quarters to find out what was happening. The police even sent out a team to the ship.” He pauses and grips her elbows tightly but avoiding her eye contact. “Everyone comes back and swears that nothing weird is going on. I know a few people who tried to figure it out on their own. They vanished when they started asking too many questions.” 

The Doctor releases his shoulders and takes half a step back. Every instinct she has is telling her that this man is not lying, but there’s one thing she still can’t figure out. “So you've decided to follow strangers around the marketplace to warn them. Don't you think it could be dangerous for you?” 

His gaze snaps back to the Timelord “It's not just me. There's a team of us that tries to keep humans away from the South. We've all lost people and it's how we fight back." He pauses and looks questioningly at her. "Can you really help?" 

The Doctor frowns, uncertain of what to make of the angry shadow in the man's eyes. “If you're after some sort of revenge...”

He interrupts her “No! I just don’t want anyone else to go through this, to wonder where their loved ones are.” He sighs and the next words are whispered ”What's happening is not right.” 

The Doctor’s attitude softens when his grief becomes obvious “I’m sorry for your loss. If your people have been taken prisoner, I’ll bring them back.” 

He swallows and shakes his head sadly. “She was among the first taken, I lost hope a long time ago. I hope you find your friends before it’s too late.” 

The quiet words are barely out of his mouth before he draws the hood of his coat over his head, stumbles backwards and returns to the busy street. It takes even less time for the Doctor to start running South. 

***************

"What would distract me if I was human?" The Doctor reaches the Southern border of the marketplace and she starts searching the deserted streets for any trace of her companions. "Think. It has to be something very obvious." All the structures are in a similar state of lifeless ruins. The only noise echoing is the muffled sound of her heavy boots stirring sand. 

She takes another turn into a narrow alley and spots a small building that clashes with the surroundings. It’s a restaurant that looks oddly new, the facade is all clear windows and dark brick walls. Nothing seems particularly out of the ordinary at first glance... Except that the English pub from the early 21st century is out of place not only for this planet, but for this entire part of the galaxy. 

The Doctor sighs, a long and exasperated sound before making her way to the revolving doors. 

She barely puts a foot inside the room, before a woman appears behind a large wooden counter "Can I help you?" 

Startled, the Doctor rushes out "Hello. I'm looking for my friends, three of them. They must have been here earlier, I left them a few hours back to go visit the marketplace, and they love to wander off. It's probably because they're humans, you know how they are. Get distracted very easily." 

She clears her throat and clicks her jaw shut. Talking had always been her favored strategy to get out of trouble, but this body had come with an annoying tendency to blurt out her thoughts in jumbled words. The constant noise made it harder to concentrate and only drew attention to her occasional social awkwardness.

"And you are...?"

"What?" The Doctor doesn't really register the question, too busy examining the stranger in front of her. She can’t use the sonic to get a reading without looking suspicious, so she delves into her memory. Long neck, translucent skin, nose shaped like a triangle and an oddly rough voice, like it has gone unused for a long time. Non speaking species are rare and always establish some other means of communication among themselves. Hands signal, facial expressions, or mind reading... Telepathy. The woman is a Kruul, a kind of alien who only communicate through their minds. There are very few of them left and she’s galaxies away from her home planet, which only tickles the Doctor's curiosity. 

"You said your friends were humans, what are you?" The woman takes what she means to be a threatening step forward, snapping the Timelord out of her thoughts.

The Doctor grits her teeth and stifles the anger forming in the back of her mind. She'd never responded well to aggressiveness, but she needs the stranger's help to find her companions. "I'm human too, I just specified because... Well, you never know. Have you seen all the alien species around here? Very impressive."

The Kruul instantly relaxes "I'm afraid you are our first customer today. Would you like to eat something?" 

The Doctor frowns. There is something about the restaurant that feels very wrong. The atmosphere practically tingles with an unknown energy that makes her skin crawls. She has no way of checking if her friends have been here or not, but she knows there is a trap in this room that she needs to take care of. On the off chance that the woman was telling the truth, Yaz, Graham and Ryan were probably safe exploring the marketplace on their own for a few more hours. 

"A bit of food, what an excellent idea."

The woman produces a fake welcoming smile before showing the Doctor to a high counter with a row of chairs. She turns away and heads for what’s probably meant to look like a kitchen but seems to be about the size of a closet. The entrance is hidden by a torn curtain and a strange, cold light filters out from underneath it. 

The Doctor sits and mutters to herself "No perception filter. That's not even a good trap.”

The blue soup that arrives in front of her a few minutes later only confirms her suspicions when she dips her index into the strange texture. The Doctor sniffs the tip of her finger and tries to contain her natural reaction. The food reeks of Burr Moss. She has only encountered the plant a couple of times in her travels, but it has a smell that's hard to forget, combining the sourness of lemon with the texture of jam. Its leaves can be crushed to make a potent sleep inducing drug and she takes a moment to carefully plan how much of the plant she needs to ingest to fall unconscious for a few minutes. Two spoonfuls (more like two and a half) should buy her enough time to trigger the trap set for humans' biology, while not leaving her defenseless for too long. 

The Doctor takes a deep breath before gulping the first one. The taste takes a second to register before her eyes widen in pleasant surprise. Custard cream biscuits, just like the ones the TARDIS had surprised her with when they had been reunited. “A plant using my own brain to cause hallucinations. Now that's clever." The second and third bites are easier to swallow, and she doesn't fight when she feels the foreign drowsiness invade her brain. "I was due for a nap anyway" 

***************

When the Doctor opens her eyes, she is laying on her back on a cold hard floor with Ryan and Graham flanking her on each side. She blinks quickly and manages to get her vision into focus before struggling to sit. The movement catches the attention of the two men, who speak at the same time "Doctor!"

"Graham! Ryan!" She gets to her feet and stands before looking around. "Welcome to your first prison cell... It is your first time in prison, isn't it?" She doesn't wait for the answer before throwing another question with a frown. "Where's Yaz?" 

"The man who captured us came here. He was going to take me with him but Ryan decided to argue and..."

Graham's confused answer gets interrupted by the younger man. "I wasn't going to watch him kill you, Graham."

"It was my choice t..."

The Doctor cuts into their bickering with a sharp tone "Let's try again, but quicker. Where is Yaz?"

"That man took her somewhere a while ago. That's all we know." Ryan fills her in. 

The Doctor doesn't react for a brief, stilled moment and both humans almost jump in surprise at the shadow of cold anger that passes into their friend's eyes. 

"Let's start by getting the two of you to safety." The Doctor fetches the sonic out of her coat pocket and points it to an empty corner of the room. It takes a few seconds but the TARDIS slowly materializes in front of their eyes. 

"How did you do that?" Ryan stares in amazement at the police box. The Doctor has used the sonic to help the TARDIS materialize on Desolation but it's the first time she makes it appear out of thin air.

"All that tinkering I do has to be useful sometimes. You two get inside the TARDIS and get her ready to fly. Just wait for us" She had taught her three companions how to prepare the ship for an emergency takeoff only a few days after they had started traveling together. 

Ryan ignores her instructions and makes his way to the cell's door. "No way. I'm helping. Just get us out of this room." 

The Doctor sighs. Graham is already moving toward his grandson, and she doesn't have time to explain why they would only slow her down this time. "They're after humans. You can't come with me, not when you're the target."

"We want to help save Yaz." Ryan's voice loses a little of his stubbornness as Graham goes completely still behind him. 

"I will bring her back" Her words are interrupted by a scream that's unmistakably human and the Doctor's gaze hardens in a way they never saw before. It lasts a few seconds but it's a rare reminder that their friend is not human. "I promise." 

The Doctor locks eyes with Graham, and he nods with something akin to sad understanding. He moves forward and gently pulls Ryan's arm. "Come on, son. You can remind me how to get that ship ready." The two men face each other in silence before Ryan surprisingly turns on his heels and storms into the ship. Graham offers a grim smile and follows to the TARDIS' door. "You keep Yaz safe, Doc." They are barely inside the ship before the cell's door slams open, the shadow of the Doctor running out of the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter got away from me and it's a lot longer than I anticipated. Sorry? It starts with a bit of a rewind and we switch back to Team TARDIS’ point of view! And because I forgot to say in the first chapter, the parts in italic are either memories, flashbacks or one of the characters thinking.
> 
> Thank you again to everyone who leave kudos/comment. It really makes my day (or my entire week, honestly) :-D

“Ow” Ryan blinks slowly, shaking off the fuzziness in his head. He looks around and notices Graham struggling to sit up, while Yaz is laying on her back with her eyes half opened. “What happened?” 

“I think it was the food. It knocked us out.” Yaz speaks from her spot on the floor as she carefully stumbles to her feet.

“But what do they want? Why are we here? And where is “here” exactly?” The rush of questions comes from Graham, pushing the three humans to examine the room they find themselves in. 

The floor and the walls are made of a grey, shiny metal. The only lighting is coming from a heavy lock on the door, blinking and throwing an eerie red glow around what looks very much like a shadowy prison cell. Ryan approaches and pokes at the mechanism with an open palm. It doesn't budge. “We’re stuck.” 

They spend a few more minutes hunting for clues that would help them figure out why they're being held captive or how to escape the room. There is no furniture, no window, not even an air vent they could try crawling out of. 

They keep pacing the cell until approaching footsteps interrupt the search. Ryan lights up and turns to his companions as he makes his way to the door. "Here’s the plan. If whatever took us comes through here, we jump it as soon as the door opens."

Graham moves to stand behind him, despite his doubts. “What are you going to do if it’s a group of people? Or if they have weapons?” 

"Listen. There’s only one set of footsteps. But if you have a better plan, let's hear it." Ryan answers 

Yaz appears on the other side of the older man. “I don’t think they drugged and kidnapped us because they wanted to be friends. If it's our only chance..."

Graham interrupts her “Maybe the Doctor will...” He doesn't have time to finish the thought before Ryan rolls his eyes. 

“How would she even know we're here?” The younger man asks. 

“Stop bickering.” Yaz tugs on Graham’s arm and slips between the two men. They stand together facing the door when the lock clicks, and the light switches from red to green. 

Ryan gulps before whispering “Get ready.”

The door slides open in an unexpected rush of light that makes the three humans blind for a second. Ryan recovers first and sprints forward, spurring his friends to join him. Before they can even get a clear view of the person standing in the doorstep, they find themselves roughly slammed against the cell’s back wall by an invisible force. 

The man who slowly makes his way inside the room is almost identical to the woman who drugged their food earlier, only his voice is deeper. “Earthlings aren't very creative, are they? My name is Vesh and I'm a Kruul from a planet you wouldn't know. I’m in charge of preparing you. Come with me.” He sighs before snapping his fingers in Ryan's direction. The human falls to the ground after being brutally released from the force field. 

“Don’t touch him!” Graham growls, twitching against the invisible energy that’s keeping him glued to the wall.

The stranger clicks his tongue in a weird sound tainted with annoyance. “Let me guess. He’s from the same genetics material as you.”

“He’s my grandson and I won’t let you hurt him.” Graham replies, after a moment spent making sense of the weird phrasing.

The clicking sound echoes again, louder this time. “Let me? Fine, he can stay. You’re coming with me.”

“Graham, no!” It’s Ryan’s turn to object but he’s projected back against the wall before he can move.

Nothing more happens for a few seconds, while the alien creeps closer to the group. He silently examines the prisoners and when he speaks again, it’s with genuine curiosity. “Why do you always act so emotionally? You’re all going to be coming with me, there’s no need to be dramatic over it.”

“I’ll go first.” Yaz said, ignoring both the man's question and her two companions' widened eyes. 

“Yaz...” Ryan's voice is low, but he never has the chance to finish his warning before Graham tries to argue. 

"That's not a good idea.” 

“You heard him, we’re all going to have a turn. I can go first.” There’s a calmness in her voice that she doesn't really feel. The young woman has enough self awareness to realize that she’s their best chance at finding an escape route. She’s a quicker and more rational thinker than Ryan, while Graham has nowhere near her level of fitness. Brushing away her own concern over the Kruul's emotionless demeanour, she sends what she hopes is a reassuring smile towards the two men.

“I do love a volunteer. Very well.” He snaps his fingers, and the force field vanishes around Yaz, allowing her to step forwards. Her freedom doesn't last long as the man approaches, cuffs her hands in front of her body and walks out of the room. “Come with me.”

***************

Yaz throws a last look over her shoulder with a mouthed “Trust me” to her friends, before following into the alien's footsteps. She gulps when the door slammed shut behind them.

They make their way through a few corridors, where they only encounter empty hallways and closed doors, while Yaz tries to gather as much information as she can from their little stroll. She notices that the walls are all made of the same shiny metal as the cell was. There's no window in sight, and the only noticeable noise is a background whirring sound that she can't place. The air has an oddly staled smell to it, and the clues are all pointing the young woman to a conclusion she doesn't like. 

They reach the end of a short corridor, stopping in front of an unremarkable door. A scanner appears, and the man leans down until his eye is leveled to the instrument. A beeping sound later, a new room that confirms Yaz's suspicions is revealed. The clean floor is made of glass and she can see stars and what she assumes is the planet Gnov IV displayed under her feet. They're being held captive on a spaceship, which put any potential escape plan under a new perspective. 

Yaz clinches her teeth as she gathers her thoughts, standing still in the room's entrance. To escape, they would need to either disable the alien - or aliens - and take control of the ship, or find the nearest available escape pods. Both options look far-fetched. The rooms they came across were empty, offering no weapon to attack the stranger. There's no sign of any available pods, and even if they could find one, they have no confirmation of their location. For all she knows, the ship could have traveled halfway across the universe while the humans were unconscious.

Yaz didn't detect any sign of life during their little walk around the ship. Finding more prisoners to help their escape is more a wish than a realistic solution. Even the Doctor saving them looks downright impossible. The woman doesn't even know they've been kidnapped and probably wouldn't realize it before their agreed meeting time, which was still a few hours away when they entered that restaurant. They're on their own. 

Or more exactly, one handcuffed human is on her own against a very large alien who can manipulate force fields. The man gently pushes her forward and Yaz is forced to enter the new space, snapping out of her thoughts. The white walls and blinding lights are in sharp contrast to the darkened hallways, and she can barely make out what's awaiting her in the room. She shoves her rising panic into a corner of her mind. "Never panic" was the first reflex drilled into her brain at the police academy and she has every intention of following her training.

She blinks and shifts her eyes rapidly around the room while the details come into focus. All she finds is a threatening chair that reminds her of the equipment of a dentist's office, placed behind a large black screen that's about the size of blackboard. The room is in pristine condition, as was the rest of the ship. There's not a trace of dust to be found anywhere and her search for an escape door, a weapon - or anything useful really - is fruitless. Meanwhile, the Kruul is quickly losing patience with her motionless observation. "Have a seat, please." 

Yaz hesitates. Being locked into that chair would considerably limit her options and there's always a chance she can outrun him. The stranger has nothing of an athlete. From there, she might get lucky and find a way to send a distress signal to the planet above their feet, especially since... 

A very long sigh interrupts her musings. “Earthling, please. The door is locked, as is every other door we've crossed. You can’t get out and you can’t run faster than me. Even if you could, the cuffs you're wearing will only open at my command. Now sit, I have a tight schedule to keep.”

Yaz grinds her teeth together but does as he says. The alien quickly ties her ankles to another set of cuffs placed into the ground, loosened the ones around her hands and lock them back into the chair’s arms with an experienced grip. 

“Why are you doing this?” Talking to him is quickly becoming the only available course of action. If she can learn the motivation behind their kidnapping, maybe the man could be reasoned with. That's what the Doctor would do, and the woman does have a good record in escaping dangerous situations. 

He barely looks at her, too busy fiddling with the large screen that is coming to life. "I don't know why I bother either, to be honest with you. You'd think their Games would have improved by now, yet they keep asking for broken humans." 

Yaz's train of thoughts comes to a screeching halt and her next, carefully planned question is forgotten. "Broken?" The thought of being tortured didn't cross her mind until now, but somehow "Broken" sounds more painful than "Dead". 

“Just your mind, don't worry. There's not much pain involved and it keeps your body alive. You won't be able to think beyond basic survival though.” 

Yaz briefly wonders what's his definition of "basic survival", but he is talking again before she can open her mouth. "Your thoughts will be limited to eating, sleeping, identifying threats or running away from things that try to kill you. Not much of a difference from your standard human brain, from what I can tell." 

"I didn't ask anything." She pauses and considers his words. "Can you hear my thoughts?" It would explain how he destroyed all her escape plans before she could even think them through.

“Of course, I can. Earthlings are practically screaming when they think. It’s a wonder I’m not deaf by now, with how long I've been stuck here”. It's more a grumble than a real answer, but Yaz catches the words in the heavy silence. 

“Release me and you won’t have to listen to my weak human brain any longer.”

The Kruul pauses in his preparation. “A funny one. I’m almost sorry for what’s about to happen to you.” His upper lip raises in a cold smile. 

He flicks a switch and the screen comes to life, displaying what seems to be the scan of a human brain. The alien glances at her before pointing to a red lighted area that covers about a third of the organ's surface. “That's the part I'm going to disable. It's the core of who you are. Your memories, your dreams, your feelings... Everything originates from this little area.” 

He catches Yaz's eyes but ignores her silently horrified look. The Earthling's attitude is a nice change from the usual begging and screaming, and it compels him to explain the procedure. "Your brain is built like a submarine. When it's sinking and there's enough damage done to a compartment, it gets sealed off. I'm going to get into your head, simulate damage to this area" His fingers slowly moves to the screen and traces the red lines. "Your brain will shut it down all by itself. Your own biology will do half of the work for me." 

Yaz's words gets caught in her throat. His cold detachment about what's essentially murder is shaking her resolve to not panic. She exhales slowly and focuses all her attention on the flow of air coming out her lungs. It settles her thoughts and Yaz's fear is soon replaced by anger. With a shake of her head, she dismisses both emotions and goes back to her initial plan of stalling the man with her questions. "Why are you doing this?"

"We sell Earthlings to the Ceonians. They have the best Hunting Games in the universe, you'd love it." He pauses. "If you weren't about to become a participant, of course. Are you ready?"

"Sell... Money? Wait, you're killing innocent people for money?" Yaz breathes out, in a stunned whisper. 

"I'm not the one doing the killing." The alien doesn't elaborate, making his way in front of the screen to stand a few meters away from her. They lock eyes and she's hit by his emotionless gaze. There would be no reasoning with him and Yaz can only wait to see what he will do next.

Time seems to freeze as both occupants of the room goes still in a silent study of each other. He breaks their stare and Yaz notices a glassy emptiness that takes over his eyes. The human can't feel anything for a few more seconds, until a circle of cold settles around her skull. The sensation is coming from inside her head and progresses slowly, as if tightening up around her entire brain. She swallows and tries to shake away the feeling, but the sudden head movement turns the icy discomfort into a dull kind of tension. 

The pain reminds Yaz of the few times she suffered through a migraine and she holds her breath as the room seems to be closing in on her. The white brightness of the walls hurts the young woman's eyes a little more every time she blinks, and she forces a deep, long breath into her lungs.

"Don't panic. Don't focus on the pain." Yaz's whisper breaks the heavy silence of the room.

_“Interesting”_ The alien's word explodes from inside her head and she grits her teeth under the deafening noise “Sorry, didn't mean to do that." He's talking normally now, but his voice echoes inside the empty room as he inspects his prisoner. "I’m not trying to hurt you more than necessary, but it’s been a while since one of you tried to fight me. You really shouldn't. You're only making the pain worse, Earthling.” He goes quiet before his eyes returns to an unfocused gaze.

***************

Yaz doesn't bother answering him, all of her attention is focused on the intrusion inside her mind. She doesn't have the slightest idea how to defend herself against such a foreign assault, but it doesn't mean she isn't going to try. She pushes away all of her distracting, fearful emotions and tries to pinpoint the coldness she associates with the Kruul's presence, before putting all of her energy into shoving him out of her head. 

The stranger doesn't budge, he only tightens the grip he has on her brain. Yaz's vision starts to blur and she screws her eyes shut, her fingers digging into the chair's leathery arms. The feeling suddenly shifts, switching from the biting cold to a burning wave that cuts through her thoughts. She cries out and can't control the tear slowly rolling down her cheek, until suddenly everything comes to a stop. 

A flash of white explodes behind her eyelids and she wonders what trick the alien is about to throw at her, before noticing the new quietness of her mind. It looks like he has completely vanished from her head, leaving only the new flash of white light and a residual tension behind, along with the memory of the burning pain he inflicted on her. Yaz waits for a few seconds before she cautiously opens her eyes to see what's happening inside the room. 

“What...” The alien's shock is obvious on his face, before his head disappears behind the now empty screen. “How are you doing this? You’re protecting the area I'm trying to... That's not possible.” Coming back into view, he blinks once and his eyes quickly move from the monitor to Yaz's face as he storms closer. “Earthlings can't do telepathy. What are you?”

About to dismiss his question with an angry comeback, Yaz suddenly reconsiders her next words. If she can make him believe that she isn't as defenseless as he thinks, maybe he would let them go. She just needs to figure out how to scare him enough to... 

The alien loses patience before she can figure out the better answer "What are you? Answer me or I will get the information out of you in a much less pleasant way."

Yaz raises her eyes in what she hopes is a threatening glare. “I’m a very powerful telepath. You should release me and my friends before I kill you.” The younger woman winces internally. That probably isn't what a very powerful telepath would say, but the residual pain echoing inside her skull slows down her thought process. Even piecing together that sentence had been difficult. 

The whistling sound that comes out of the Kruul startles her and she only realizes it's an odd laugh when he speaks again “Kill me? You’re barely hanging onto the most important part of your brain. Remember the sinking submarine? All the parts of your mind I've touched are sealed off." He approaches the chair and leans down until his face is centimeters away from Yaz's. “Tell me, can you remember your first memory, Earthling? What’s your favorite color? How many people are in your family unit?”

Yaz’s breathing speeds up when she tries to remember the information. The memories are floating around, but the white light that stopped his assault is starting to solidify in her head, and it's keeping them just out of reach. It's almost like a mist, slowly settling around her brain and preventing her from focusing on anything specific from her past. She makes a weak attempt at pushing through, but she's hesitant. Whatever the foreign presence is, it did protect her. Pushing it away might not be the smartest choice, no matter how unsettling the fogginess is. 

Her halfhearted attempt at reaching her memories comes to a sudden stop, when an unfamiliar voice echoes from inside her head _“Calm down, Yasmin Khan.”_

The tone is soft and completely different than earlier, when her captor mistakenly screamed into her brain. The words materializing in her mind are foreign and it's one of the oddest feeling she has ever experienced. She freezes and scans the room once more, searching for clues about her new ally. She finds her surroundings as empty as when they entered. "Who are you? Where are you?” 

_“I'm inside your head, you don't have to speak.”_ The voice says in an urgent whisper.

But the warning comes too late “So, it’s not you doing this. I should have known. Tell me, Earthling. What’s in your head?” The man singsongs with a smirk.

Yaz spots the now familiar glassy look in the alien's eyes before a cold blast returns into her mind. It's more insidious this time, poking around her brain in an attempt to figure out what's protecting her. The light prodding is easier to ignore and Yaz shifts her focus to the strange voice. 

Not knowing if the Kruul can hear the thoughts she directs at the white mist, the young woman picks her words carefully. _“Thank you. I don’t know who you are, but thank you for protecting me.”_

_“You keep taking care of my thief and we’ll be even, Yasmin Khan."_ It pauses. _"But I can’t do much more than protect your brain from permanent damage. I’m sorry.”_ The other occupant of the room doesn't react and Yaz decides that he doesn't have access to what they're saying.

_“Sorry for wh...”_ Her words are cut short by a burning wave of pain, much stronger than it was before, and she can't stop the scream that's ripped out of her throat. The Kruul has apparently judged that the unknown entity in her brain isn't worthy of further examination. 

“I’m much more powerful than whatever it is protecting you, Earthling.”

Yaz blinks back the tears this time and tries to keep her breathing even. Drawing courage from her newfound friend, she utters through gritted teeth. “The Earthling has a name.” 

“Do you think I care? You’re just another weak being from Earth and you’re not going to defeat me.” His tone is icy and all the sympathy he had for the human is long gone.

Yaz chuckles in a humorless sound. “Still going to try, I wouldn't want to disappoint you". 

"Then I feel sorry for you." He shrugs and the pressure around the young woman's head tightens viciously. The pain goes through her whole body and she barely registers her stomach rebelling against the violent treatment. Yaz clicks her jaw shut and wills away the nausea while the world blurs around her. She briefly loses track of the white presence in her head, as it shudders under the strain. 

A long, scary moment passes before it strengthens again, leaving the younger woman exhausted but able to breathe through the pain. The voice speaks again, with the same reassuring confidence as before. _"I've got you. Just hang on a few more seconds."_

"Not sure I can hang on for much longer than that." She mumbles the words, her brain too scrambled to remember to keep the thoughts inside her head.

It doesn't matter, since the man groans and abruptly releases his hold on her. The pain shifts to a more normal headache that Yaz manages to push back into the background of her mind. "Now what?" A moment later, the human notices the sound that distracted him. It's a familiar whirring noise that brings a tired smile to her lips. "What is this?"

Yaz lets out a long breath and allows her head to rest back against the chair, forcing her shoulders to relax against the cool leather. "Sonic screwdriver. You should have listened to me." 

***************

The words are barely out of her mouth before the door slides open. The man's eyes widen and his jaw slacks in a surprised reaction that would have been comical, if Yaz wasn't still fighting the last spell of dizziness he caused. His reaction turns to shock once he catches a proper look at the Doctor. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

"Hi, I'm the Doctor." Her voice is serious and she stays uncharacteristically still, eyes scanning the room in a quick assessment. "What's your name?" 

He ignores her questions. "Doctor who? I hate when Earthlings think they're clever" With a dramatic sigh, he tries to hang onto the emotionless boredom he treated Yaz with. "You can just wait for your turn h..." His voice breaks as he examines the Doctor more closely. "Why can't I hear your thoughts?"

"You don't want to hear what's going on in my head. Believe me."

The comment goes unanswered as he steps forward, stopping only when he almost reaches the Timelord. The two aliens stare at each other in complete stillness for a long and frozen moment before he speaks again. "I can sense your emotions. There's fear and anger practically boiling out of your mind." He pauses and tilts his head. "So much anger."

Yaz can see the scene from where she's held captive and she startles when the familiar, glassy look comes upon his eyes. "Doctor, careful!" Before she can elaborate, the younger woman is interrupted by a faint sound echoing around her mind. It's coming from the white presence still lingering around her thoughts and it's a soothing, humming noise that's oddly familiar, even if she can't remember where she last heard it. 

The Kruul quickly snaps out of his attempt at telepathy with an audible gasp. "You're not from Earth. Your mind is protecting itself, I can't access it. I can only hear the noise that your thoughts create. They're buzzing around your head so fast..." His next stunned words come out in a breathy whisper. "So fast. I haven't encountered that kind of telepathic abilities since Gallifrey..." He interrupts his own description again as the realization hits him. "You're the last of the Timelord." 

The Doctor's face scrunches up. "Not really, that was all a bit of a misunderstanding. Gallifrey is back, they've just moved. Nobody knows where they are though, or when they are. Well, I know. But I'm not telling you." The Kruul's attitude loosens the tense knot in her stomach. Yaz looks unharmed and while she isn't particularly familiar with the Kruuls, his fear of the Timelords could be all the argument they need to escape that room unharmed. 

"Anyway, I won't bore you with Time War history. I'll just free my friend here and we'll be leaving." That's a lie. She wants to get Yaz back to the TARDIS as quickly as possible, but they won't be going anywhere before she can figure out what exactly is going on aboard this spaceship. 

"No." The answer makes the Doctor freeze but she stays quiet. There's a noticeable hesitation in his tone, the simple word sounds almost like a question that hangs into the air. He's still gathering his thoughts and she doesn't want to put pressure on him until he makes it clear that he will be fighting their escape. For now, she only stands very still in front of him and tries to guess what's happening behind his quickly blinking eyes. 

She doesn't have to wait long and a sad sigh escapes her at his next words. "You're not leaving this ship." He moves backwards and turns to pace around the room. The new glimmer of excitement behind the silver color of his iris makes Yaz's stomach churn. 

"Do you know how long I've been stuck here, doing nothing except breaking into Earthling's psyche?" He doesn't wait for an answer as the words keep flowing out of his mouth. "Decades. The Ceonians are not paying nearly enough to make up for all the time I've wasted. The only reason I'm still here is because I'm the only one left, the rest of the crew deserted years ago. I should have left while I had the chance." 

The Doctor's eyes harden. The Ceon Games are famous around the universe for the unprecedented prizes they offer. Winning one of their events is enough to make anybody rich for a lifetime. The level of cruelty involved is also well known and she had thought, perhaps naively, that all participants were volunteers.

"Nobody is forcing you to kidnap people." The Doctor inches closer to the Kruul. She carefully angles her trajectory to stand between the man and Yaz, before speaking again. "You could leave everything behind and make a life for yourself. I can help you." 

"Don't you think I've tried? The Ceonians pay in advance, that's how they can be sure they'll never run out of participants. We still owe them a couple thousand more Earthlings." He stops moving and looks somberly at the Doctor. "You know how they punish people who break their contracts" She does, it involves a swift attack on the other party's home planet. He doesn't wait for her answer before carrying on in a cold voice. "But if I can show them... If I can bring them a Timelord, they'll release me from my debt. I'm sure of it.” 

"Heard that? One of me is worth a couple thousand of you." She half turns towards Yaz, meeting the younger woman's eyes with a serious look that contrasts against the amusement in her voice. The human musters a smile and nods, trying to convey that she isn't hurt. The Doctor only frowns in answer before addressing the Kruul again. "Humans can't do telepathy though. Do you really think your tricks will work on me?" 

"Oh, no." He smiles but the expression never reaches his hard gaze. "I have a proposition for you. A game of sort. If I win, you surrender." He gives her a quick once over. "I wonder how long a Timelord would last on Ceon. Maybe they would let you join the Hunt, it would be..." He never finishes his thought but Yaz can hear the giddiness in his voice. She fails to completely stifle her growling reaction, which catches the Doctor's attention. The blonde woman turns and offers a reassuring smile. Yaz can't help her own answering grin and she feels a little more settled when the conversation picks up again. 

"What if you lose?"

The Kruul shrugs, like the possibility hasn't even entered his mind until now. "You can leave with your little friends. I won't stop you."

"Alright. Do your worst." She smiles and the expression carries a hint of cockiness that's new to Yaz. The Doctor is nothing if not confident in her own skills, but this level of arrogance is both surprising and oddly attractive. The human sighs and pushes away the fluttering feeling - that is definitely not a crush - in her stomach. It's only the Kruul's weird laugh that brings her attention back to the events unfolding in front of her.

"Oh, no. I know I can't get into your head and I assure you, you won't break into my mind either. We need a neutral field for this game." He smirks and stops pacing when he reaches the chair Yaz is tied to. "Good thing we have a mostly healthy Earthling's brain available. Get me out of her head and you win."

"No. Absolutely not. I'm not playing your sick game." He ignores the words and his eyes finds the human's tied in front of him. Yaz swallows a surprised groan at the return of the icy tightness inside her head. The strange mist that was dormant through the Doctor's confrontation with the other alien seems to wake up and envelops her in a soothing white light. 

"Too late. I told you, I'm already inside her brain. Are you just going to watch me hurt your friend?" 

"Get out of her head. Now." He jumps when he's met up close by stone cold hazel eyes, not having heard the woman's approach. They're a few centimeters apart, almost nose to nose when the Kruul whispers his answer.

"Make me, Timelord."

Yaz can't hear the last part of the conversation, too busy trying to figure out what's happening inside her own head. It starts with a throbbing headache this time, until the tension shifts and heats up. The memory of the burning wave from earlier floods her mind, but it's fear more than the actual pain that makes her snap. "Doctor, just do it!" The mist is creating a level of isolation between the alien's attack and her brain, but it shudders again and Yaz reflexively grips the chair tighter. She turns an almost pleading gaze towards the Doctor who lets out a resigned sigh.

The Timelord makes her way to Yaz and raises her hands when she's within touching distance. "This won't be fun for you, I'm sorry. I'll get him out of your brain though. Trust me."

Her fingertips find the human's temples and Yaz tries to concentrate on her friend's close presence instead of the fear tugging at the back of her mind. The Doctor's hands feel good against her head, the skin soft but slightly colder than a human's fingers would be. There's no immediate change inside her brain. The white presence is battling against the Kruul, providing a simple shield against his strengthening assaults. It takes a few more seconds before the white light slowly fades out, leaving behind a dark orange glow that flashes behind her closed eyelids. 

The new presence Yaz can only assume is the Doctor is more solid. It methodically scans her head in a way the human can't quite describe, and the sharp contrast between the flashes of tingling warmth and the icy spikes travelling around her mind leaves her dizzy. 

The Doctor quickly contains the Kruul's presence, dulling the sensation to a faint throbbing pain somewhere in the corner of Yaz's brain. It's not a brutal fight, more like a gentle shoving match until the man seems to slip further and further away. Yaz opens her eyes, intrigued after a few seconds of stillness.

She spots the Kruul standing with hands on his hips, a displeased frown on his face. "Pushing me back is all you can do? I was expecting more, I have to say." 

The Doctor doesn't bite at the taunting comment, eyes closed and fingers still firmly on Yaz's temples. The human holds her breath, confused by the turn of events. She catches sight of the man's glazed look, her only warning sign before the pressure in her brain comes back violently. Yaz winces as it starts tightening around her skull, making her stomach jumps in her throat again. "Not good."

Yaz feels the Doctor swallows before she exhales, and the Kruul's progress are abruptly stopped by a force that seems to be coming from inside the human's brain. It's pushing back against the alien's attack, but the unnatural pressure is also creating an excruciating tension all thorough her body. The younger woman bites her lips and focuses all her energy on staying quiet. 

***************

_"Can I help?"_ Yaz keeps the words in her head. She doesn't know which of the aliens crammed inside her brain would be able to hear her thoughts, but it's the only course of action she has. Being a silent observer of the tug of war game being played insider her own mind is nerve wracking. She feels powerless, stuck on the sidelines while her friend is battling to save both of their lives. 

_"Yes."_ The voice startles Yaz. It's the unknown presence again, but the white light she associates with it is nowhere to be seen. _"There's a way to help, but nothing comes without sacrifices. How much are you willing to risk to defend yourself?"_

The words escape the attention of the other occupants of the room, and Yaz is left alone, trying to gauge her choices in the middle of a telepathic duel raging in her head. Trusting an unknown entity that entered her mind without her consent seems like a risky choice. On the other hand, being able to join the fight is tempting and she's starting to feel overwhelmed by the odd feelings of warmth and cold, of pushing and pressing forces that are travelling around her brain. The Doctor and the Kruul are evenly matched and Yaz isn't sure how much longer her brain can survive being their battleground. 

_"What is it? What’s the price?”_ The young woman decides to ask. 

_“If I could tell you, I would. But I don't know.”_ The pressure inside her skull seems to burst and her vision goes blurry for a few burning seconds, until the Doctor groans and Yaz can breathe again. The human can't contain the whimpering sound that escapes her lips and the blonde takes a step closer. Yaz feels her friend's coat brushing against her fingers, and she opens her hand to grip the material, grasping for every bit of comfort she can find. 

"Sorry, Yaz. I'm trying." It's a whisper but their proximity allows the younger woman to catch the words. She can also hear the tension in the Timelord's voice and her decision is made. 

She directs the next thought towards the strange presence in her head. _"How do I help? Just tell me."_

The answer comes instantly, in a wordless bolt of pain that explodes at what feels like the center of her mind. The pain is blinding and almost unbearable before it dissipates, as quickly as it came. Yaz screams, while both the Kruul and the Doctor are thrown out of her head. The shock leaves the three occupants of the room in a state of dazed silence for a few seconds, before both aliens recover and return into the human's brain, hunting for an explanation of what just happened. 

Yaz's recovery takes more time but when she manages to get her thoughts together, she's blown away by how foreign her own mind seems to her. The first thing she notices is how the white presence vanished from her head. She spares a second to think of her protector, hoping it found a safe place to wait for help, before she pushes the distraction away. There would be time to investigate later and the Doctor's assistance would speed up any potential rescue. For now, the human's priority is to make sense of her new awareness of the events happening inside her head. 

The feeling is new and seems completely unnatural, like she's walking among her own thoughts. When she tried to push away the alien's first assault earlier, it was like blindly wandering inside a dark room. She couldn't do anything, except try to follow the icy cold travelling in her skull, and shove it away once she thought she reached it. His presence was too fast and too scattered for the human to achieve any real success, leaving her defenseless to his attack. 

But she can see him now, in a blurred form floating in her head. The shape is still exuding cold but the feeling is easier to ignore. She disregards the discomfort and turns the iciness against him, since it gives away his next movement. She manages to track him down and pushes, shoving the pain, the tension and all that's hostile out of her mind. The Kruul resists for a moment, as if planting his claws inside her brain and she gulps at the burst of pain. Yaz doesn't stop pushing and he is soon reduce to evade her grip. He's trying to slip away into a further corner of her brain, before the Doctor intervenes. 

Yaz almost forgot about her friend and if the surprised yelp coming from the other side of the room is any indication, so did the Kruul. It takes a few more seconds, but the Timelord's orange glow pins down the man before chasing the last traces of him away from Yaz's brain. When she tries to take a closer look at what the Doctor is doing, her friend's presence vanishes from her head. 

The two women open their eyes and Yaz blinks until the room comes back into focus. She's exhausted and a little overwhelmed by having so many aliens battling into her brain, but she forces a deep breath into her lungs. The Doctor's hands slip away from Yaz's temples, settling on her still tied wrists instead. 

"Thanks for playing, we'll be on our way now." The blonde throws the words over her shoulder, fingers toying with the chair's restrains and brushing against Yaz's skin in the same movement. 

The man is on the other side of the room, laying on the floor. He rolls to his back before speaking. "There were two of you... How..." He pauses, struggling to process what happened to him. "The Earthling cheated!"

The Doctor ignores him, her eyes still staring into Yaz's. _"Sonic is in my coat's pocket. You can reach it."_ The words come from inside the human's head, and the younger woman let her gaze fall to her friend's hands that are gripping her wrist. She exhales slowly and tries to focus on their escape, and not on the warmth of the contact, as she wiggles the opposite hand loose from the cuffs. 

Yaz moves her arm forwards and her fingertips slide against the metal of the screwdriver before she manages to get a firm grasp on it. She presses the instrument against the lock of the chair and it clicks opened. With one hand freed, she unlocks the other handcuff before pointing the screwdriver downwards. The familiar buzzing sound echoes again, and her feet slips away from the chair.

Yaz's boots make contact with the floor and she only realizes how drained her entire body feels when she's getting ready to stand up. She glances up and notices the Kruul who's in even worse shape. He shifts his weight, failing to get to his knees, and Yaz doubts that he's in any condition to block their escape. She can't be sure of how long his recovery will take though, and his prone form is still blocking their direct pathway to the door. With a shake of her head, the younger woman chooses to not think about what he will do if he catches them. 

"I don't think I can walk." Yaz forces her voice to be calm, despite the rising headache. The Doctor seems to sense her worries and she squeezes her wrist. 

"Good." The human picks up on her friend's tone and some of the stress she was carrying finally leave her body. The woman has a plan, potentially dangerous and probably a little crazy, but she has a plan. For the first time since they were kidnapped, Yaz has the conviction that this day will end with all of her friends safely back inside the TARDIS. 

As if hearing her thoughts, the Timelord smiles before turning around to check on the now kneeling man. "You won't have to walk." Yaz notices the Doctor's hand blindly reaching behind her back and wiggling her fingers. The human grasps it and tangles their fingers in a solid grip. 

"Run!" The Doctor whispers the word before sprinting towards the room's entrance. The contact between their hands forces Yaz to follow. The brunette is surprised when she finds out her legs are solid enough to match the Doctor's steps and they make their way to the exit. They reach the door while the Kruul struggles to stand up, the Doctor easily slipping under his gripping arms before steering the human away from him. The Timelord pushes her friend through the doorway first, takes a step forward and shuts the door. "Sonic?" The younger woman woman hands it away before she has to lean on a nearby wall, letting her head rest against the pleasantly cold wall. 

The Doctor joins her, the urgency to escape seemingly vanished 

"What happened to running?" Yaz swallows the rising nausea and presses her hands against the metallic surface to steady her body.

"He's not going anywhere, he couldn't even get himself up. Figured you could use a breather." She pauses and turns to peer at the door. "Don't have long though. He might recover quickly. We should probably..." Yaz loses track of what the Doctor is saying, offering a vague nod in answer before the movement sends her sliding down the wall. 

The Doctor follows and they find themselves sitting side by side on the floor. "Let's get you back to the TARDIS, Yasmin Khan." Her full name echoes in the younger woman's head, triggering memories from earlier. Questions suddenly flood her mind and she wants to ask about the strange presence that saved her, wants to know if the Timelord detected anything while she was inside her brain, but her words jumble together. Yaz closes her eyes and tries to piece together a coherent question, but she slips into unconsciousness before she even realizes it. 

***************

A few hours pass before Yaz wills her eyes opened. She finds both Ryan and Graham crouching at her side and leaning over her face. "I think she's waking up." She waits and blinks quickly until her vision isn't too blurry, before sitting up to look around. They’re back into the control room of the TARDIS and she's laying on the floor, her head pillowed against Ryan's coat. 

"What happened? What did I miss?" 

"We were waiting for you in that prison cell. The Doctor brought you back to the TARDIS." Graham says. 

Yaz spots the blonde sitting further up, leaning back against one of the room’s columns with her legs stretched in front of her. She shuffles her shoulders against the surface behind her with a frown. "Add 'carrying people' to the list of things that definitely used to be easier." 

"Wait, we just left? We have to stop that man from kidnapping more people." Yaz struggles to get her legs under her weight but Graham holds her back with a gentle hand on her stomach. 

"Don't worry, Doc took care of everything."

"Not that we were allowed to help." Ryan goes back to the stairs he was perched upon while waiting for Yaz to wake up, before sending an unhappy glare in the alien's direction. 

"No helping when you're the target, it's one of the rules."

"It's a stupid rule." The disgruntled tone of Ryan's voice only seems to amuse the Doctor, while Graham rolls his eyes in silent exasperation. 

Yaz ignores the usual bickering around her, lost in thoughts. "Did you find any prisoners on the ship?"

The Doctor sighs and a somber shadow passes through her eyes before she blinks and it disappears. "Couple of humans. Freed them from their cells, but there's no way to repair their brains. I set the spaceship on a course to New Earth, so they will at least get the proper care they need and the Kruul will face justice. I'll need to pay a little visit to Ceon soon too..." She trails off as if considering her options to visit the planet responsible for the humans' cruel fate.

Yaz can't stop a shudder running up her back, as she considers the life awaiting the freed prisoners once they get back to their home planet. Coming so close to the same fate only deepens her natural compassion for her fellow humans. If it hadn't been for the stranger who infiltrated her head before the Doctor's arrival... Yaz's eyes widen as the memory of the odd presence emerges. "Did you find anything not human on the ship?"

The blonde frowns and tilts her head in Yaz's direction. "No. Should I have?" 

"There was something... Someone, I think." She stops to organize her thoughts. Finding the right words is harder than she anticipated and she briefly wonders if she didn't imagine the whole thing. "I'm not sure what it was. It just appeared into my head before you arrived." She directs the words at the Doctor, turning her head to see patient hazel eyes fixed on her. "But it protected my brain. I think it saved my life." She trails off, memories slowly fleshing out in her mind. "It knew my name! When I tried to thank it, it told me to take care of a thief..." She pauses again, considering the idea. "A thief... What if it was kidnapped too? We need to get back to the ship and find it." 

The Doctor sighs and lets her head fall back against the column. "No, we don't." Her eyes slide to the ceiling. "Are we ever going to be over this?" A loud whirring sound echoes in the control room and the humans jump while the alien mumbles her next words "Alright, no need to get all touchy about it. I swear, you steal a TARDIS once and you're still hearing about it two thousand years later."

She turns to her companions and finds them staring at her with wide eyes. She grins and the men snap out of the frozen moment, speaking at the same time. 

"You stole the TARDIS? You can't just steal a timeship, that's..." Graham never finishes his thought, waving his hand in front of his face.

“She was about to be rebooted. I saved her life really” She shifts her gaze upwards. “You would expect more gratitude.” 

"Wait, where was it? Can I get one too?" Ryan asks excitingly. 

The Timelord hesitates before brushing off the question. “Last model. Sorry, Ryan.” 

"The TARDIS was in my head?" Yaz's voice is slower, as she processes the new information.

The Doctor turns serious and their eyes meet across the room. “I think so. Would explain a lot. She didn't hurt you, did she?”

Yaz hesitates when she recalls the TARDIS’ warning about sacrifices. Was the sacrifice the painful jolt that gave her telepathic abilities? The pain was quick and didn't seem to leave any lasting effects, nothing worth mentioning. Yaz briefly wonders if her new skills are permanent, but quickly disregards the thought. There's no urgency to figure out what her brain can - or can't - do and she's too tired to test it. She bites her lips and chooses to steer away from the Doctor's question. No sense in worrying her friends before she has more meaningful information to share. 

She glances at the column surrounded by the control panel instead. "Can I talk to it now? I'd like to say thank you." The TARDIS shakes at her words, throwing both Graham and Ryan off the stairs in a jerky movement. 

The Doctor expected the reaction and she's still sitting in the same spot, legs braced against the floor. "She doesn't like being called an it, sorry." 

Yaz winces and instinctively looks at the ceiling, mimicking the Timelord's attitude whenever she's addressing the ship. "I didn't mean to be rude, thank you for saving me." 

It looks like the TARDIS is going to stay silent, until the Doctor reaches and knocks a hand on the console. A purring noise is heard around the room before it goes back to the usual background humming. "Better. You'd think she'd be more patient with humans by now." 

Graham gets back to his feet from where he was silently watching the interaction. "I'm going to ignore whatever just happened. How do you feel, Yaz?"

The words force Yaz out of her thoughts and she realizes how exhausted she still feels. "I think I need a couple more hours of sleep." 

"Right. It's enough excitement for me too, for today at least. Thanks for finding us, Doc." Graham makes his way to the younger woman and draws her into a gentle hug, mindful of her still weak legs. "Thank you, Yaz. You were very brave." She smiles and nods, before he leaves the room with a loud yawn. 

Ryan follows with an awkward pat on Yaz's back. "Yeah, thanks. I would have punched that alien, if it had been me. Wouldn't have helped much." She chuckles while Ryan vaguely gestures to the newly appeared game room's door and leaves. It was a gift from the TARDIS after he helped the Doctor cleaned up custard cream's crumbs from under the console. 

"Why are they thanking you?" Yaz turns to see the Doctor staring at her with a small frown on her face. 

"The Kruul was about to take Graham first. Ryan tried to fight back and they started bickering, so I volunteered. I didn't want them to be separated, not when they're finally starting to act like a proper family." She pauses and glances to the floor, not sure if she should share the full motivation behind her decision. "And I thought I was our best chance of finding a way to escape." She rushes through her last words.

"You were." Something behind the simple words forces Yaz to meet her friend's gaze. She raises her head and what she sees in the familiar hazel eyes makes her breath catch in her throat. It's the same childlike wonderment that lights up the Doctor's eyes when she's amazed by a new discovery, only this time the look is aimed at her. "Graham and Ryan are brilliant in their own way, but you're the bravest person I've met in a long time." 

"Really?" The question is out of the younger woman's mouth before her brain catches up. She winces internally at the uncharacteristic note of insecurity in her own voice. The Doctor's reaction is a sharp contrast to what she's used to, and the younger woman can't hide her genuine surprise. 

Most of the people in her life hate thinking of Yaz being in risky situations. Her parents spent years trying to convince her that becoming a police officer was the worst possible career path she could pick. Even the people at work insist that she should be more careful with her decisions. "Don't run before you can walk" is an advice she receives almost daily. The words are different but the feeling is shared by all of her coworkers, and Yaz is tired of people underestimating her judgement. 

The open appreciation in the Doctor's eyes is different, in the best possible way. She feels her heart accelerate when the woman joins her on the bottom step of the control room. She values her friend's opinion, not because she has a crush on the Timelord - that would be ridiculous - but because she's literally the best person Yaz had ever met. She's kind and thoughtful and _brilliant_ , and the younger woman can't contain her blushing reaction when the Doctor's soft hands cup her cheeks. 

"Yes. " She whispers, with a brush of her lips against Yaz's forehead. 

Yaz ignores the warm contentment spreading in her stomach in reaction to both the Doctor's words and touch, but she has no control over her deepening blush. She can only hope to look more composed than she feels as she stares into the Timelord's eyes for a few frozen seconds, a stupidly happy grin on her lips. 

The Doctor snaps out of the moment first, clearing her throat gently as she looks around the empty room. She takes a stumbling step backwards and awkwardly clears her throat. "You're also very tired. How many hours of sleep do humans need in a day? Around twelve right?" She pauses for a second, not long enough for Yaz to get a word in. "That seems wrong. But you need to recover from what happened to you today, so we'll just go with twelve."

The nervous monologue has an oddly soothing effect on Yaz, who has to bite her bottom lip to repress the answering smile. "Try eight hours, you'll be closer." She sighs before she's forced to acknowledge that her friend is probably right. She's exhausted. "I'll go get more sleep. Don't crash the TARDIS while I'm gone." She ignores the outraged sound coming from behind her with a chuckle, and leaves to search for her room in the maze of corridors.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter, finally! I'm really hoping this work is just the beginning of a serie. I can't make any promises though, because I have an insane job that involves a lot of traveling around (it's what kept me from posting last week, I shouldn't even be writing at all). I'll never start posting a story that is not completed, so it might be a while before you see anything new from me. Thank you again to the people who leave kudos or a comment :-)

Barely a few hours after drifting off to sleep, Yaz is pulled awake by a dull, throbbing pain echoing around her head. She's warm and comfortable, nestled into soft blankets, and getting out of bed is the last thing she wants to do. 

With an unhappy sigh, she blinks one eye opened and peers at the ceiling “Anything you can do about the headache?”. Her whispered question goes unanswered by the TARDIS, and after a few more seconds of the ship’s unchanged background humming, she begrudgingly rolls out of bed. 

The cold floor under her feet dissipates the last trace of sleep from her brain. She groans as her head throbs and blindly grabs the discarded sweater on her bed, slipping it over her tank top, before leaving the room in search of pain relief medication. 

It doesn't take long for Yaz to realize that she has no idea where medical supply is kept on the ship, and she decides to wander around the rooms, silently asking for the TARDIS' help (It's a brilliant trick she discovered in the last few days. If you thought about it hard enough, you'd eventually just walk into whichever room you needed the most. At the time, she believed it was a random streak of luck, but now she isn't so sure). 

After what seems like a long time roaming endless hallways, Yaz's hopes turn to frustration. No matter which corridor she picks or which turn she takes, she is brought back into the control room. 

On her fourth attempt, she relents and makes her way deeper into the room. It's completely empty, which is odd, but she decides to make the most of the occasion. Approaching the control panels, she slowly walks around it to examine all the levers and instruments. The humans are expressly warned against touching anything without the Doctor's supervision but they've all made a habit of using the custard cream pedal, with or without the Timelord's presence (“I’ll take the free food, since nobody cares about regular mealtime” Graham keeps grumbling). 

Yaz steps towards the pedal and takes the resulting biscuit between her fingers, while her eyes trail around the room. Her attention is caught by something near the entrance and she freezes. She makes her way closer with a frown, keeping her steps light and quiet. The Doctor is nowhere in sight, which is a rare occurrence in itself, but it's the wide opened doors that worry her the most. They're never anything but sealed shut while the ship is drifting in the time vortex. She considers alerting her companions of the potential intrusion, maybe something had...

“Doctor!” Yaz's thoughts are abruptly interrupted and she can't stop herself from crying out. The Timelord is startled awake from where she's napping on the floor, legs dangling out of the TARDIS and a half eaten custard cream in her hand. 

“Yaz!” She blinks once and seems completely alert, her eyes finding the younger woman’s. “Is something wrong?” 

“You can’t sleep with your legs out like that, you’ll fall off.” Yaz moves close enough to take a look outside and she gasps at the sight greeting her. They’re orbiting a planet similar to Earth in size, but what looks like oceans are shining in a clear purple color. The light is soft and it reminds her of fireflies dancing around her family's garden during summer months. She’s captivated by the glowing water for a while before she lets her gaze travel around. They're floating in space, and Yaz lets out a small sigh, relieved that her friend didn't doze off in the middle of the time vortex.

“Nah. The TARDIS won’t let me fall, don’t worry.” The Doctor speaks after a long moment of silence. Observing humans when they discover new corners of the universe is one of her favorite hobby. There's an indescribable spark that flashes through their eyes, a curious and bright flame that lightens them up from the inside. When the human is already as brilliant as Yasmin Khan, the sight is truly spectacular. 

Yaz hums in answer “Like that time you definitely didn’t fall in the middle of a train in Sheffield?” 

The Doctor smiles, but it's far from her usual toothy grin and Yaz frowns at the subdued expression. "You can't count that time, I always get thrown out of the TARDIS after I regenerate. Takes her a while to get used to the new me. Can't really blame her, it takes me a while to know I am too. And it's the first time she didn't completely blow up, so maybe she's getting used to it." She quiets and her fingers tap against the door, before trailing against the wood in a gentle movement. "Or maybe she could feel how painful it was." Her eyes drift to the horizon, not focusing on anything specific. 

The sad, wistful voice stirs something inside Yaz and the human suddenly wants nothing more than to comfort her friend. She isn't sure where to start and for a second, she feels completely out of her depth. What's the right thing to say to an alien - one you definitely don't have a crush on - when she's lost in memories you know nothing about? The human can't even fathom the process behind regeneration, and the fear of saying the wrong thing makes the words stick in her throat. 

Yaz pushes away the confusing thoughts and settles on offering company to the Doctor. “Can I sit with you?”

“Of course. Star gazing with Yaz, amazing.” The Timelord pops the rest of her custard cream into her mouth, reminding Yaz of her own biscuit still held loosely in her right hand. She offers it to the blonde woman, while sliding into the now empty space in the doorstep. 

“That’s 10 bonus points for you. Don’t tell the boys.” The Doctor says through a mouthful of crumbs. 

“I thought you were doing gold stars now.” Yaz falls into their familiar banter, desperately trying to occupy her mind with something other than their new proximity. The doorstep is much narrower than she anticipated and their legs are pressed together, from ankle to thigh. She can feel the Doctor’s shoulders move as she breathes and Yaz definitely needs to stop focusing on the heat she can feel at every point of contact between their bodies. 

“Was I? I don’t really keep track, but you can have one of those too.” She turns, finding Yaz’s eyes already observing her in silence. “Thank you. I love a good biscuit.”

“It’s nothing, I’m supposed to be taking care of you. I promised the TARDIS.” Yaz nudges her friend with her shoulder, in another attempt at gentle teasing. She doesn't expect the long sigh that precedes the Doctor's answer.

“I don’t need to be taken care of.” The Timelord scoffs, throwing a grumpy look over her shoulder at the ship. 

Yaz frowns and carefully considers her next words. “Everybody needs someone to care for them.”

The Doctor’s head turns and their eyes meet, silently staring at each other for a frozen moment, before the Timelord breaks the contact and lets her gaze fall to her own boots with another long sigh. “Not me.” 

Yaz feels more than she sees her friend's shoulders raise in something that looks like a shrug and it makes her pause. Curiosity is her first reaction and she really, _really_ wants to know what happened to the alien for her to brush away any attempt at caring, no matter who's behind the solicitous attention. Yaz already discussed the question with Ryan and Graham. It didn't take them long to figure that the Doctor’s typical “I’ll be fine” answer whenever someone asks about her well-being is just another way to avoid their questions. Yaz brought it up first, but both men are more sensitive to it since that incident with the sonic mine.

Yaz has a general idea about why the Doctor keeps her companions at a safe distance, especially after learning that the woman is two thousand years old. Nobody can live that long without experiencing a considerable amount of losses and grief. She can barely wrap her mind around how stupidly short the life of a human - her own life - would seem to the Doctor. The Timelord never makes them feel insignificant though. If Yaz is honest with herself, she treats them with more patience and kindness than most humans are capable of, and it only fuels the questions running around the young woman's brain.

It's the lingering silence that snaps Yaz out of her thoughts. With an imperceptible sigh, she chooses to steer the conversation away from personal matter. "I didn't believe you at first, when you said you were talking to the TARDIS."

The comment earns her a silently grateful smile. "Nobody does. Still don't understand how humans get over _engineered dimensions_ faster than a sentient ship, but it's always like that."

"She was really in my head." Yaz glances back to the control room. "I know she translates for us all the time, but it felt different. How alive is she?"

"Very much alive. I met her once, a long time ago." 

"Could you see her today?"

"In your head, you mean?" Yaz nods and the Doctor pauses, examining her memories of the earlier events. "Not really. I might not have noticed though, I'm used to her just being there." 

"Being where? You said you only met her once." Yaz repeats, with a frown. 

"Here." The Doctor taps her own forehead, while the human's eyes widen. 

"How can the TARDIS always be in your head? Isn't it... Too much?" Yaz's experience of three separate entities cramming themselves inside her brain was overwhelming, and it only lasted a few minutes. She can't imagine having to live with another person's thoughts inside her head.

"Not like you're thinking. She's quiet much of the time. I can just feel her humming in the background of my mind." Yaz's confusion is obvious when the Doctor glances at her. "I've lost a lot of people in my life, Yaz. Having a telepathic connection with the TARDIS, it's..." She pauses, letting out a long sigh. "It's comforting." 

"And you can do telepathy because you're a... Timelord, right? That's what the Kruul said." The Doctor only hums in answer, a noncommittal noise that allows Yaz to press forwards. Having a personal discussion with the Doctor is like walking through a minefield, and the human is growing tired of the deflections anytime she asks about her friend's past. She's willing to accept that the Timelord might not be ready to share every single one of her memories, but having a stranger know more about the Doctor than the woman's own travelling companions stung. Don't they have a right to know about the person driving them across the universe? "Why was he so afraid of Timelords? Of you?" There's a few seconds of frozen silence, and Yaz can feel the Doctor's body stiffen. 

As the blonde woman goes still, her eyes focus on some random star far onto the horizon. It's a cycle she's been through with most of the humans who decide to travel aboard the TARDIS. The questions start small and inconsequential, and next thing she knows, they demand to know every detail of the Time War. Constantly reliving her past is an exhausting burden that she was hoping to avoid with her new friends. She had been so careful in planning their travels, doing everything in her power to avoid crossing her own timeline. She had stayed away from specific places where people would remember either her, or her past companions' presence. She lost count of how many remarks about Clara, or Amy or Rose she kept to herself. Even the TARDIS was on board with her plan. 

Yet, here she is again. She can feel Yaz staring at her with huge eyes full of expectations, and she has no idea how to start answering her question. If she's honest with herself, there's part of her that's terrified of the younger woman's reaction to the terrible events scattered through her past. Graham or Ryan leaving would be devastating, but the Timelord knows that it's Yaz's memory that will haunt her when she will think back about this period of her life.

“Are you scared?” The Doctor's words are whispered in the heavy silence, and Yaz frowns when the blonde glances at her, barely making eye contact before turning back to the stars. 

There's something old and serious in her friend's eyes, something Yaz had never even glimpsed at before. It serves as a sobering reminder that she's traveling with a thousand year old alien, yet the younger woman gets the vague impression that it's mostly an attempt at keeping her from asking more questions. Not that it's going to work, Yasmin Khan doesn't scare easily. "Should I be?" 

The truth is, she doesn't have enough information to fit the Doctor's specie into her own classification of aliens. They probably fall closer to the "dark and dangerous" side than the "friendly and harmless" category, but Yaz decides to keep that particular reflection to herself. What she does know with absolute certainty is that the Doctor would never hurt her, at least not intentionally. Not with her profound respect for all living creatures, not after she watched the woman try to save a giant dying spider, and especially not after she saw the devastated look on the Timelord's face when she failed and crouched down next to its corpse. That particular look is burnt into Yaz's memory. 

The Doctor's sad answer snaps her out of her thoughts. "Maybe."

Yaz can feel the tension dripping out of the simple word. The frustration of learning so much about the Doctor in a few taunting snippets thrown around by a random alien is still tickling the back of her mind, but she decides to ignore the feeling - for now. The questions swimming around her brain can wait. 

***************

With a side way look at the Doctor, Yaz shuffles closer and tucks her hand into the crook of the blonde's elbow. "Well, it's too late now." She pauses, aware of the stiffened body pressed against hers in the narrow space. "Kind of a cocky name though, isn't it? Timelords."

The Doctor expected the conversation to drift about the rest of the Kruul's comments, about the Time War and how she was the last of her kind. Yaz's question stuns her for a second, and she tilts her head to meet her friend's gaze in obvious surprise. The younger woman simply offers a kind smile and the Doctor swallows a wave of affection at the quiet understanding in the warm brown eyes. She looks back at the planet displayed in front of them and lets her coiled muscles loosen. "Humans always say that. Like I'm the one who chose the name."

Yaz's smile turns more genuine and she allows herself to relax into the now peaceful silence. The quiet moment brings her attention back to the slow throb in her head and she lets out an annoyed breath at the painful tension.

The Doctor notices. “Is something wrong?” 

"Just a headache." The words come out of her mouth before she can consider lying, and she winces internally. Worrying her friend after the draining day they both had is the last thing she wants to do. "It's nothing."

The Doctor is reaching for the sonic in her pocket before she finishes her sentence. "Is it why you woke up? You should have told me."

"Doctor, I'm fine. I was just trying to find some paracetamol but I don't know where you keep medical supply. I kept running into the control room." 

The Timelord frowns. "The TARDIS probably wanted me to have a look. Do you mind...?" She gently shakes her arm loose from Yaz's grip and raises both hands in the vague direction of her friend's temples, the movement similar to what she did before entering the human's brain earlier.

The younger woman freezes at the suggestion. Allowing the Doctor into her head while she was being tortured was never a conscious decision. She just wanted the unbearable pain to stop and her survival instinct kicked in. 

Allowing the Doctor into her head in the middle of the night, while they're both drifting safely aboard the TARDIS seems like a choice that has much bigger ramifications. Would she be able to access everything that was into Yaz’s brain? Everything she ever felt, or thought, or dreamed about? There are some parts of her past that she’s not ready to share with her friend - with anyone, really - no matter how much she trusts her. Digging into some of those memories would require a lot more mental energy than she has available for now.

The silence lengthens until the Doctor mistakes her hesitation for reluctance and she lowers her hands, twisting them together in her lap instead. “I’m sorry, keep forgetting human brains are not made for telepathy. Wait, I didn't hurt you, did I? I really tried to be gentle, but that Kruul was pushing me and I couldn't..." She trails off after glancing at Yaz's stunned expression. "You probably don't want people getting into your head again, I get that. Two is a crowd, right?" She frowns, considering her last words. "Feel like I got that one wrong. Let me just pop into sickbay to see if we have any medicinal tea left, from my time on Torth. Works much better than paracetamol and it will help you get back to sleep. Tastes better too." 

Yaz tries to interject "Can you tell me more about telepathy bef..." 

"Right." The Timelord doesn't let her, too caught up in her newest idea to help Yaz. She grips the open door behind her and shifts her weight backwards. "Be back in a tick and I'll..."

Her words are stopped by Yaz's hand, landing on her shoulder and tugging until they're sitting side by side again, legs dangling into open space. "I don't want you to leave, I want you to answer my questions." 

“Bossy.” 

"You like it." The Doctor glances at her with the ghost of a smile and Yaz has to bite her lips to keep away her own answering grin. "What can you see, when you're in my head? Do you have access to everything that's in there?"

"Just imagine a door blocking anything you don't want me to see." 

"A door?" Repeats the human, incredulously. "You can win a telepathic fight with another alien, but if I hide my thoughts behind an imaginary door, you can't see them?"

"Brilliant." The whisper is far from the answer Yaz expected, but the fondness contained in that single word is enough to convince her stay quiet. "Great question. Humans are not physiologically equipped to handle telepathy, not without some sort of training. I could access everything that's in your head if I wanted to, and you wouldn't be able to stop me." She pauses to catch curious brown eyes staring, and the open trust looking back at her has a sobering effect. "That's why consent is so important. I never want to hurt you, not if I can help it. Imagining doors is more of a signal, it tells me that you don't want to share that part of your mind with me. I will always respect your privacy. That's a promise, Yaz."

The younger woman gets caught into the intensity behind the last words and she pauses for a second. It's a new wave of pain flooding her brain that snaps her out of the moment, and she turns her upper body to face the Doctor. "If you think you can help more than paracetamol, I trust you." 

The Doctor shifts to match her position and raises her hand, stopping right before she makes contact with her skin. "Sure?" 

Yaz freezes, remembering the last time the Doctor asked that question. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but she knows rationally that it can't be more than a couple of weeks since that day... Not that there was ever an option in her mind. The Timelord offered them what she spent her entire life yearning for, a chance to make a difference and to help people in a meaningful way. Time and space travel is a tempting part of the deal, but the core of her desire to travel aboard the TARDIS is the same fire that pushed her to be a police officer in a city where women aren't exactly welcomed on the force. 

And there is the Doctor. The blonde alien who tried everything to warn her newfound friends of how dangerous travelling with her was, while looking at them with such lonely longing in her eyes. The same woman who was now asking for permission to get into Yaz's mind again, eager to help but patiently waiting for her response. The human gulps and for a second she's brought back to that day in the control room, without the familiar presence of Ryan and Graham. It's like Yaz is standing in front of the Timelord again, one hand on the TARDIS' lever and her gaze anchored into intense hazel eyes, ready to embark on a much more personal journey this time. The same readiness fills her thoughts and there's a familiar certainty in her voice when she speaks again. 

"Sure." Yaz raises her hands and grips her friend's wrist softly, guiding cool hands against her own temples. 

The human expected an explosion of orange energy again, but the Doctor's presence is more gradual this time. It starts with a more quiet burst of warmth and glows brighter with each breath Yaz takes. Her first instinct is to focus her attention on that light, trying to figure out if the odd telepathic awareness she felt earlier is still present, but it doesn't take long before the human realizes she's in no shape to muster up that amount of energy. She can feel a similar spark tickling the back of her mind, just out of reach, but she can't direct it towards the Doctor's presence. 

She gives up after a moment of exhausting effort and begins sorting through her memory, quickly spotting the thoughts and feelings she wants to keep for herself and grouping them together. The process is more tedious than she anticipated, but she manages to shove everything behind an imaginary door. Immediately, she can sense the hidden thoughts fading into the background of her mind, untouched. The pain is also fading and she can barely remember the tension that woke her up anymore. Her head is filled with a sense of warm contentment instead, and she closes her eyes, basking in the welcomed feeling. 

***************

The Doctor gently eases her hands away from Yaz’s head after a few minutes, settling them on the younger woman’s shoulders when she feels the last traces of tension evaporate from her mind. They're awkwardly facing each other in the cramped space, and it helps the blonde catch her companion when her upper body slumps forward. The Timelord is not surprised, telepathy is always a draining experience for humans, no matter how carefully she touches their mind.

The Doctor rearranges their limbs until Yaz’s head is resting more naturally against her. She throws her own arm over the human’s shoulders and Yaz snuggles closer in reaction. The blonde has to fight to stifle her first response. There's no way she can safely move away from the younger woman while they're both sitting in the TARDIS' doorstep, especially not when she's sleeping. The Timelord sighs and spares an exasperated thought for Eyebrows. All of her previous incarnations were perfectly fine with touching, except him. The adjustment is jarring, after centuries of being stuck in a body who could tolerate very little physical contact before feeling overwhelmed. 

With time, the last echoes of him are starting to fade away. He almost feels like a distant memory now, joining her passion for bow-ties and sneakers somewhere in a far away corner of her mind. It allows her to loosen up with the careful physical distance she keeps with her companions, especially around Yaz. The process is slower than she would like, but the solid presence of the human tucked into her side is slowly causing an answering warmth in her own stomach and a sudden impulse to drop a kiss against the mess of dark hair pressed against her neck. 

The Doctor is snapped out of her thoughts by Yaz sighing, the air against her skin suddenly warmer. “Feeling better?”

The younger woman pries one eye opened and glances up, taking in the expectant grin. “Why are you asking if you already know the answer?”

“To make sure. I love a job well done.” 

Yaz would normally answer her friend's antics with a teasing eye roll, but it would require her to move from her spot. She considers it, before deciding that she's too comfortable snuggled up against the Doctor who's standing still for once, seemingly content in their embrace. “Thank you, Doctor.” She stresses the last word and the blonde squeezes her shoulders in reply. 

Enjoying the quiet moment, Yaz lets her eyes drift back to the sight displayed in front of the TARDIS. “Where are we?”

"Trasetania, great spot for star gazing. Oceans glow purple and the sky turns seven different colors when the sun rises. I'll land in the capital, at some point in the future." She points to a bright spot on the surface of the planet, a city that looks like a small huddle of lights from their viewpoint. "I was a mess back then. I was wearing leather jackets, can you imagine? Great ears though. And I had just left Rose behind..." She trails off and pauses for a second. "Forgot to tell her I had a time ship. Still a couple of centuries before the Trasetanians will need my help, when two rival clans declare war. They'll almost destroy their entire population because they can't figure out who murdered some king." She stops talking, as the memories from that trip slowly emerges. 

“Who was it?” Yaz nudges, when it becomes obvious that the Doctor is done with her story. She catches the reference to Rose and she has to bite her lips to stay quiet. Questions about her past companions usually end with the Doctor switching the conversation to at least three different topics in a matter of seconds, much too fast for the humans to keep up with her. The casual mention of a name without any awkward fumbling seems like progress to Yaz. 

The Doctor frowns and turns startled eyes towards her friend, as if remembering that she isn't delving into her memory alone. “What?”

“Who killed the king?”

The Timelord blows out a slow breath and shakes her head, careful to not dislodge the woman still nestled against her shoulder. "Nobody. The poor man dove into a lake and hit his head at the bottom. Passed out and drowned before anyone could help." 

“They started a war because someone accidentally drowned?” Yaz frowns.

The Doctor nods somberly. “At some point into the future, yes. But I don't know if their technology is advanced enough to even see us for now. If they can, they'll just assume we're ordinary people traveling on a harmless spaceship. Nobody will expect me to save their city from bombing, or to kill the enemy clans' chief or to solve a murder investigation, while all I'm really trying to do is to keep everyone from destroying one of the most beautiful planet in the whole universe." 

The Timelord's gaze hardens and she stops talking, surprised at the bitterness in her own voice. She's not sure where the feeling is coming from. Maybe she spent too much time thinking about Eyebrows earlier, the man had a bad habit of stewing over the most negative memories. Maybe she's still stuck on that Kruul who spent years kidnapping and torturing humans before she had a chance to stop him. Or maybe it's her new reaction to the fear of losing one of her companions. Today was a much closer call than they had ever faced together. If she really thinks about it, it's the TARDIS who saved Yaz. She was too late. Again. 

Yaz doesn't know what's going on in the Doctor's head, but the bite behind the words catches her attention. It's the first time she's allowed a glimpse at the traces left by all the centuries her friend spent travelling around the universe, helping people. She considers her next words carefully, hoping that it's not the last time the Timelord opens up to her, before reaching to squeeze the Doctor's hand that's not wrapped around her shoulders. "You still helped them though, just like you saved us today." She pauses before finishing the thought. "Like you saved me." 

The Doctor’s attitude softens in answer and her tone is gentle when she addresses the younger woman. “I'm sorry I couldn't find you earlier.”

“I didn’t even think you would find us at all. How did you ever know we were kidn...”

“Yaz.” There is something in the Doctor's voice that makes the human stop talking, before shifting her weight and tilting her head back until she can establish proper eye contact. The storming emotions she sees in green eyes regarding her take her breath away. “I can’t guarantee that you’ll always be safe or that you’ll never get hurt. I told you that already.” Yaz nods but the words she wants to say get caught in her throat, fading away in the intensity of the moment. “But there’s one thing I can absolutely promise you. I will always find you, Yasmin Khan. Always.” 

***************

The last word is whispered and a simple nod is all the answer Yaz can muster. She's caught off guard by the strength behind the words and she's not sure exactly how she earned that kind of devotion. It echoes her own feelings in an odd, familiar way and she wants to reciprocate the promise to the best of her abilities. She wants to swear that she will always protect the Doctor - or at least try to - but her thoughts get interrupted by a reluctant yawn and the moment is lost - for now. 

The Timelord chuckles in response “Bedtime for humans”

Yaz bites back the objection about to fall from her lips and slowly disentangles herself from their cozy embrace. She stands before reaching down with an opened palm. The Doctor grasps it, and Yaz tugs her up. “When is bedtime for Timelords?”

The question is genuine. She knows her friend rarely sleeps, preferring to wander around the the TARDIS' rooms while her human companions rest, but she has no idea how long the blonde can stay awake for. 

Instead of answering, the Doctor starts walking further into the ship, hands still clasped with Yaz’s. The human frowns “Wait, do you ever sleep?” 

The Doctor is snapped out of her search for Yaz’s room this time. “Not every night like humans do. There's so much to see, I don't understand how you lot spend a third of your life unconscious." She scrunches her face as she considers the idea. "I take naps whenever I'm bored and I’m good for a few weeks.” 

“You can stay awake for _weeks_ after a nap?” Yaz repeats, stunned.

“I’m still running on the few hours I caught on Graham’s couch.” The Doctor shrugs.

Yaz lets the new information sink in. “How long ago was that? You said you weren't ready when you woke up.”

“Nah, I was fine. Been around a month, I think. Not really sure how long we spent on that last resort planet.” The Doctor’s casual voice does nothing to quiet Yaz’s concerns. The human waits until they reach her bedroom's door, before pushing it open with her foot and entering the room without loosening her grip on the blonde's hand. She tugs until they're both standing in the middle of the empty space.

The movement almost makes the Doctor trip on her own two feet, but she manages to find her balance and turns to face Yaz. “Yaz? Why are we both in your room?”

Yaz waits a moment, weighing her next words. She remembers catching the Timelord asleep earlier and it only confirms her theory: her friend is probably in need of a nap. She doubts the other woman will admit it, especially after that quip about how much time humans waste resting, and she tries to figure out the best course of action to get her into bed. 

"Sleep with me?" The possible double meaning - which doesn't apply, since she does _not_ have a crush on the Doctor - only hits Yaz when the words are out of her mouth. The younger woman clears her throat and waits, hoping that her friend won't stray from her habit of taking everything literally.

The Doctor blows out a long breath, eyes traveling around the room in search of a distraction. "I'm fine. I'm not even tired." 

Yaz lets out a small relieved sigh before tilting her head to catch her friend's gaze. "I know. You don't need to sleep, just... Keep me company?"

"While you sleep? Why do you want company?" The Doctor raises a dubious eyebrow.

"Please?" Yaz decides to ignore the question, and carefully keeps her voice soft. Letting the Doctor think that she's doing her a favor is her best chance of success. She knows she won when the Timelord makes her way to the unused side of the bed, only dragging her feet a little. 

The blonde settles over the cover and turns to the younger woman who's still motionlessly observing her. "Come on. Can't keep you company if you stay standing there." There's a teasing spark behind the hazel eyes that shows Yaz the Doctor is just indulging her, and she can only offer an apologetic smile in response. The Timelord doesn't seem to mind, only patting the mattress next to her as she leans back against the headboard. Yaz joins her a second later, slipping under the heavy blanket and tucking it around her waist. She sits up and gets rid of her sweater, leaving her in a tank top and black checkered pants. 

"Still don't understand why humans think sleeping is fun." The Doctor points out after a few minutes of silence.

"This human needs to rest for a couple of hours, before you drag us to another alien planet." Yaz chuckles, her words muffled by the pillow when she speaks. 

The Doctor frowns as she considers the idea. "Well, then. Better get to it. The sooner you sleep, the sooner you wake up." 

Yaz smiles, turning her back to the Timelord and nestles her head back against the pillow. "Goodnight, Doctor." She vaguely registers the reciprocated words before closing her eyes. On any other nights, the human would have struggle to ignore the Doctor's presence in her bed, but exhaustion and the day's events finally catch up with her and it only takes seconds before she slips into slumber.

The Doctor is left alone in the darkness, trying to keep her usual fidgeting under control. She wants to reach for the sonic and tinkers with it, but she's scared the orange glowing light would wake up her companion. She lets her eyes drift around the room instead, noticing how tidy Yaz keeps the space, before examining the bedside table. She's about to reach for the discarded book she finds there - an old edition of Murder on the Orient Express - before Yaz rolls around to face her. The human is asleep, but her fingers wander from her side of the bed until it touches the Doctor's trousers, somewhere near her knee. The blonde woman feels the hand clinching into the material and she can't move her eyes away from the warm contact. 

"Doctor" Yaz's breathless, content whisper echoes in the silent room and the Timelord's entire body stiffens in reaction. Her hearts are pounding and she feels centuries of running pushing her towards the door. Any of her past selves would have already jumped out of bed and flee the room in search of something - anything - to distract their thoughts from the fluttery answering warmth spreading into her chest. Having a soft spot for one of her companions is nothing new, and it took barely a few days of travelling before she admitted to herself that Yaz - brilliant, courageous, kind Yaz - is exactly the type of women she tends to like. 

What terrifies her is how quickly she's getting attached to the human sleeping at her side. She's used to grieving humans by now, the process almost starts the moment they set foot aboard the TARDIS, and she already knows losing Yaz will have a devastating effect. She's aware that the woman deepening feelings can only make both of their lives more complicated and yet... Yet she knows there's nothing she can do to protect herself from the emotions bubbling in her chest when she thinks of the younger woman's smile, short of returning her friend to her old life - which is not happening. There's a force that seems inevitable attracting the Doctor to Yasmin Khan. The Timelord closes her eyes, trying to block out the mess of complicated thoughts tangled inside her brain. 

With a resigned sigh, she pushes away the memory of Yaz's soft voice whispering her name and she nestles her cheek against her own shoulder. The familiar texture of the coat she's still wearing settles her thoughts and she reaches to cover the human's hand that's still gripping her trousers. In her sleep, Yaz turns her palm and their fingers slot together, the warmth pleasant against the Doctor's cool skin. It's the last feeling her brain registers before gratefully slipping into a mostly peaceful nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick last note: I started off trying to write a story somewhat close to what we see on an episode of DW, about how the Doctor and Yaz could end up together. It obviously didn't happen here, not because I didn't try (What you read is actually the fourth version of the final chapter) but because the character development always felt rushed. I didn't want to force them into a relationship either, because it would have influenced any potential new stories in this universe. I hope everyone still liked the ending though!

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for the terrible summary, I'm generally awful at them and it's worse when I'm trying to not give away the plot :-/


End file.
